ISU student panel targets new dress code

ISU's student government association says a dress code that took effect this week for some students in the business college violates the students' constitution..

Fitzgerald M. Doubet

The Illinois State University Student Government Association plans to fight a dress code implemented this week by the marketing department in the College of Business.

Representatives of the student government are investigating whether the dress code requiring students to wear business-casual attire in marketing and business teacher education courses violates the student bill of rights in their constitution.

Section 1, Letter J, of the bill of rights states that each member of the student body is afforded "the right to be free from any mandatory dress code."

Student body Vice President Kevin Martin said the bill of rights, which was affirmed by a student referendum in 2006, is to be consulted when policy changes are implemented at the university.

"When a new policy comes out, we should abide by that policy, as long as it is not breaking our contract, the bill of rights for students. The institution enacted a policy that we feel is breaking the contract we have with the student body," Martin said.

Martin, a business teacher education major affected directly by the new dress code, said the marketing departmentdid not consult with the Student Government Association or gather a wide range of feedback from students and professors before implementing the policy, which affects more than 750 students.

Department of Marketing Chairman Tim Longfellow said he has not spoken with student government representatives but hopes to reach a mutual agreement.

"Hopefully we’ll get a chance to speak with Dave Horstein, the student body president, and see what we have to do," Longfellow said. "Through those discussions, hopefully we’ll be able to come up with some kind of compromise and move forward."

The marketing department began testing the dress code in select classes in 2003. Last fall, all students in the professional sales sequence were required to dress in business casual attire to class.

Students were notified of the dress code in letters sent out Aug. 3. Last week, students were given a grace period before students and professors were required to fully adhere to the code Monday.